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Stained Glass Windows

The sanctuary at St. Luke United Methodist Church has sixteen glowing stained glass windows. The panels are arranged in chronological order depicting the most important events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. From the altar and facing toward the Narthex, Window Number One is to the immediate left. Number Eight is the last window on the left wall. Directly across the back of the sanctuary on the opposite wall is Number Nine. The panels then come forward and end with Window Number Sixteen to the right of the altar rail.
 
Each window was given to St. Luke United Methodist Church by a Sunday School Class or individuals, and each has its own dedication. The membership of St. Luke feels justifiable pride in the generous spirit of giving as shown by the donation of these lovely windows.
 
Gordon W. Smith and Ann Gomez are the artists who created each of the original designs. All work was done at Smith’s Glass Studio here in Fort Worth. Many examples of their work are in this area.
 
A description of each window follows. The Scripture on which each design is based  is given and the meanings of colors and symbolism are suggested. It is traditional in stained glass work to use blue as a background color, signifying the grace of heaven. Upon close observation certain themes are found repeatedly. Threes are used often – three drops, three fish, three lilies, etc. The symbolism of three always brings to mind the Three in One, the Holy Trinity. The cross is found, not standing alone, but woven into various overall designs.
 
The artists themselves recognize the uniqueness of individual reaction to works of art and would welcome your own interpretation of their efforts. These enchanting windows are a feast of light and form to our eye and a banquet of love for our souls.
WINDOW NUMBER ONE THE ANNUNCIATION
 
“And the angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over- shadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God…” Luke 1:35

The archangel Gabriel, denoted by the large pair of wings, announces to the virgin, Mary, that God has chosen her to give birth to His son, Jesus. The purity and innocence of Mary is signified by the white lily and the white at the base of the window. The descending dove al- ways represents the Holy Spirit. The column of blue symbolized the grace of heaven against a green background of new life.

DEDICATION: This window was a gift of the Homebuilder’s Sunday School Class.

WINDOW NUMBER TWO
THE NATIVITY
 
“For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11

The birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem is a scene familiar to every Christian. A royal blue background dramatizes the white purity and splendor of the star guiding the wise men and shepherds to the manger holding the Holy Babe. The Divine Presence is indicated by the golden nimbus above the manger. When a halo has the three rays in it, as this one does, it is used to represent members of the Trinity. The money bag, vase, and chest across the bottom symbolize the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts brought to the Holy Christ by the Magi.

DEDICATION: This window was a gift of Otis and Joan Thomas in memory of our parents and in honor of our grandchildren.

WINDOW NUMBER THREE
JESES IN THE TEMPLE
 
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turlledoves or two young pigeons.’” Luke 2:22-24
 
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and answers. And he said to them, ‘How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’” Luke 2:46, 47, 49
 

This window is the only one of the sixteen to use two separate passages of Scripture. In the days of earliest childhood, Jesus is brought to the temple by his parents to be dedicated to the Lord. The two caged doves show their sacrifice, and the lavender panel denotes the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ entire life. Later, at the age of twelve, Jesus is again seen at the temple amongst the learned men of the time. The scroll at the top is representative of scripture, or the Torah.

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Mr. & Mrs. Leland Davis and Harold and Hazel Bigsby.

WINDOW NUMBER FOUR
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
 
“And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’” Matthew 3:16-17

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is signified by a joyful golden background, centered by a column of green, the color of new life. The scallop shell with drops of water falling from it is one of the earliest symbols of the event. Very old paintings show John pouring water on the head of Jesus from a shell of this type. Three shades of blue across the lower section represent the river Jordan. Three fish symbolize the Trinity, or taken individually, as a sign of Jesus.

DEDICATION: This window was a gift of the Partners In Faith Sunday School Class in memory of Tony Williams.

WINDOW NUMBER FIVE
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
 
“Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, He will give his angels charge of you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Matthew 4:5-7

The center column in this window can be seen as either the high mountain or the pillar of the temple to which the devil led Jesus after his forty days in the wilderness. The devil, or evil spirit, who tempted him is depicted by the form of the serpent atop the column. The green Chi Rho, formed by the first two letters of the name, Jesus, in the Greek alphabet, signifies the renewed spirit of our Lord.   The sustaining grace of heaven is shown by blue, and the passion and trials of Jesus by the red.

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Dennis and Jan Drysdale.

WINDOW NUMBER SIX
THE CALLING OF THE APOSTLES
 
“As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” Matthew 4:18-19

Green, the color of rebirth, surrounds the beginning of a new way of life for these two men. Henceforth casting out their next, shown in white, would reap not fish but followers for Jesus and believers in the kingdom of God. The crossed keys, or Saltire, are commonly used to represent Peter. The brown X-like cross, often call the St. Andrew cross, seen in the net represents Andrew, who supposedly died in Greece on a cross of this kind. The turquoise color is used for the sea water of Galilee.

DEDICATION: The window was the gift of the UMYF of St. Luke.

WINDOW NUMBER SEVEN
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
 
“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…” Matthew 5:1-2

Against shadings of blue for the grace of heaven, streams a yellow and gold sunburst of glory, symbolizing the most important teachings of Jesus. It may also be viewed as a rayed cross. The green base represents the mountain- side and the three lilies the purity of Jesus. Outstanding among these passages of scripture are the beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Golden Rule.

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of the Spiritual Life Sunday School Class.

WINDOW NUMBER EIGHT
THE HEALING MINISTRY OF JESUS
 
“The Spirit of the lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to pro- claim good news to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed….” Luke 4:18

Three shades of blue, denoting the grace of heaven, are centered by a golden column of joy and light. The dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit, hovers above a rainbow, token of God’s covenant to man. The broken chain symbolizes the freedom from bondage of the Israelites and also the free will of man.

DEDICATION: This window was a gift from Stanley and Cathy Davis.

WINDOW NUMBER NINE
THE MUSTARD SEED FAITH
 
“And he said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in the shade.’” Mark 4:30, 31, 32
 

This window is a pictorial interpretation of the parable as told by Jesus. The mustard seed, one of the smallest of all seeds, is faith in God, which once planted and nourished, grows mighty in strength and pro- vides shelter for all men. The nesting bird is shown because birds are often used to represent human souls. At the base of the tree is the tiny gold mustard seed.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of the Emmanuel Sunday School Class in memory of all Emmanuel Class loved ones.

WINDOW NUMBER TEN
THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND
 
“And taking the five loaves and two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and he gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And they were satisfied.” Mark 6:41, 42
 

The gold and white of joy and purity are seen streaming down against a blue background of grace. A close look will show exactly five loaves and two fish in the basket, the numbers used by Jesus in one of the best known of his miracles. There is the green of the grass upon which they were commanded to sit and water in three shades of blue.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Mrs. Nita Mason in memory of my husband Paul C. Mason and my daughter Cherryll Mason McGuffin.

WINDOW NUMBER ELEVEN
THE TRANFIGURATION OF JESUS
 
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them and his face shown like the sun, and his garments became white as light.” Matthew 17:1-2
 

The center column of white denotes the purity and light emanating from Jesus. The flaming chariot is the symbol signifying the presence of Elijah, and Moses is represented by the two stone tablets with the Roman numerals from one to ten. The olive green is the mountaintop, scene of the Glory.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Dr. and Mrs. Norman Ellis in honor of our children, Deana Lynn Ellis and David Wayne Ellis, who taught us the real meaning of love.

WINDOW NUMBER TWELVE
ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
 
“And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat up- on it. And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.” Mark 11:7-8
 

The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem began the last week of His earthly life. Against a green back- ground of renewal, a golden pathway marks His way among joyful crowds. The palm branches represent those thrown down before Him. Often they are used to symbolize paradise, but especially in His entry as a symbol of victory. Palm Sunday is a celebration of this event. The small multi- colored patched over the gray of the street stones represent garments thrown down before Him.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Mason, Jr. in memory of Mr. and Mrs. G. F. Mason Sr.

WINDOW NUMBER THIRTEEN
THE LAST SUPPER
 
“Now on the first day of Un- leavened Bread the Disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the pass- over?’ …When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples…” Matthew 26:17, 20
 

This window commemorates the last meal Jesus took with his closest followers, an event we are ad- monished by him to    continue; “Do this in remembrance of me.” The lavender color denotes the sacrifice to come of Jesus’ life, which by this time he knew to be inevitable. The most common meaning of a bunch of grapes, especially when combined with sheaves of wheat, is that of Holy Communion. Wheat also stands for the “bread of life”. The golden chalice is in many places used in communion, but shown standing alone represents faith or worship. The red fortells the coming passion of Jesus.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of Mr. & Mrs. Dana Sullivan, Penny and Susan in memory of Mrs. and Mrs. Frank Sullivan and Mr. C. T. Newton and in honor of Mrs. C. T. Newton.

WINDOW NUMBER FOURTEEN
THE PASSION
 
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. …And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him,…” Mark 15:15,17
 

Purple, the central color of this panel, is used to signify the sadness and suffering of Jesus. The columnar shape can be seen as representative of the scourging post. The whip, or scourge, used is seen at the lower part of the window. At the top is the crown of thorns, used to mock him as King of the Jews. The tan paving stones are symbolic of the streets or the road on the way to Calvary.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of the Upper Room Sunday School Class in honor of Dr. Martha Chapman.

WINDOW NUMBER FIFTEEN
THE CRUCIFIXION
 

“And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull). And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews’.” Mark 15:22, 25-26

 

A crimson background, red being the color of passion, sets off the starkness of the brown wooden cross upon which Jesus was nailed and died. At the top of the cross is a sign with the letters I N R I. These Roman letters are the abbreviation for the Latin words, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. The sponge of vinegar which was held to his lips and the spear which pierced his side are shown to the left and the right of the cross.

 

DEDICATION: This window was the gift of the Friendship Sunday School Class.

WINDOW NUMBER SIXTEEN
THE RESURRECTION
 

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.   He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay…’”

Matthew 28:5-6
 

The glory of the resurrection is artistically interpreted by a central shaft of mingled yellow and white, denoting joy and purity, against the blue grace of heaven. This is surmounted by a butterfly done in green as symbolic of regeneration or new life. While the butterfly is not scriptural, it is very expressive of Christian belief, paralleling the stages in the life of a Christian. First the larva (man’s mortal life), next the chrysalis (death or dormancy), then a beautiful soaring butterfly (eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ). The red flowers at the bottom are pomegranates mentioned often in the Old Testament. When pomegranates ripen, their seeds burst forth. Just as the pod is unable to hold them, so the grave was unable to hold Jesus.

 

Dedication: This window was a gift of the Tony Williams Memorial Fund given in memory of Tony Williams.